1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor apparatus, such as a solid-state image capturing element including a plurality of light receiving sections (photodiodes or photoelectric conversion sections) for performing a photoelectric conversion on and capturing an image light from a subject; a method for manufacturing the semiconductor apparatus; and an electronic information device, such as a digital camera (e.g., a digital video camera and a digital still camera), an image input camera (e.g., a car-mounted camera and a security camera), a scanner, a facsimile machine, and a camera-equipped cell phone device, having the solid-state image capturing element as an image input device used in an image capturing section thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional solid-state image capturing element of this kind is known as a CCD image sensor (referred to as CCD hereinafter) and a CMOS image sensor, which includes a micro color filter positioned for each light receiving element above a plurality of light receiving sections (photodiodes or photoelectric conversion sections) arranged in a matrix, and a microlens positioned thereabove in a corresponding manner to each light receiving element. There is a demand for the reduction in size for such conventional solid-state image capturing elements because they are often installed into a camera-equipped cell phone device and a digital camera.
In general, manufacturing information, such as a product name and a lot number, is written by affixing a seal or by markings on a semiconductor chip that includes such a conventional solid-state image capturing element. However, the space for affixing a seal or markings is extremely limited due to the reduction in size. A marking method using a laser beam is well known as a marking method for such an extremely narrow space. Conventionally, information regarding a lot number and the like is marked on a back surface of the solid-state image capturing element. However, if the solid-state image capturing element is mounted on a substrate and the like, the back side of the solid-state image capturing element is hidden and cannot be seen, resulting in a problem of not being able to see the manufacturing information from the outside unless it is pulled apart.
In order to solve the problem, a solid-state image capturing element in which manufacturing information is electrically read out to the outside is proposed, as described in Reference 1.
FIG. 13 is a cross sectional view of an essential part, diagrammatically illustrating a part of a CCD, which is a conventional solid-state image capturing element disclosed in Reference 1.
In FIG. 13, millions of photodiodes 14 (14a, 14b, 14c . . . ) are arranged in a matrix on a substrate 12 of a CCD 10, for accumulating signal charges that is obtained by photoelectrically converting a subject light.
In addition, an electric charge transfer section 16 is provided in such a manner to connect between photodiodes 14. The electric charge transfer section 16 includes a vertical transfer CCD for taking a signal charge from each photodiode 14 and vertically transferring the signal charge; and a horizontal transfer CCD for horizontally transferring the signal charge that is transferred by the vertical transfer CCD.
A planarizing layer 18 is provided on the substrate 12, for covering the photodiode 14 and the electric charge transfer section 16. On the planarizing layer 18 above the photodiode 14, micro color filters 20a, 20b, 20c . . . of three colors of R, G and B (primary color method) are provided with a predetermined pattern.
Above each of the micro color filters 20a, 20b, 20c . . . , a microlens 22 (22a, 22b, 22c . . . ) is provided for focusing the subject light on each of the photodiodes 14a, 14b, 14c . . . . 
For example, five millions of the microlenses 22 are provided corresponding to each photodiode 14. For example, with regard to fifty thousand of the microlenses 22, which corresponds to 1/100 of the entire microlenses 22, a rectangle code area 24 is set at a corner portion of a light receiving area 23 of the CCD 10 as illustrated with a dashed line in FIG. 14. The microlenses 22 are selectively destroyed using a laser beam 30 emitted by a laser apparatus 28 as illustrated in FIG. 15 so that a two dimensional code 26 indicating manufacturing information of the CCD 10 is formed in the code area 24. For example, microlenses 22e and 22g are destroyed in FIG. 13.
Note that a portion where the microlens 22 is destroyed is illustrated black for convenience' sake in FIG. 15. In addition, although various kinds of the two dimensional codes can be adopted including data matrix (registered trademark) and micro QR code (registered trademark), QR code (registered trademark) is used herein. In addition, the manufacturing information includes a product name, a lot number, a wafer number, locational information of a semiconductor chip on a wafer, and the like.
As described above, the output and emission time of the laser beam 30 is controlled to adjust the degree of the microlenses 22e and 22g in such a manner that the output signal from the photodiodes 14e and 14g, which has received a predetermined constant brightness, enters within a predetermined level range P in destroying the microlenses 22e and 22g by the laser beam 30 of the laser apparatus 28, in FIG. 16, in which output signals from the photodiodes 14a, 14b, 14c . . . are illustrated. That is, the two dimensional code 26 is detected by detecting the output signal within the level range P, thereby reading the manufacturing information of the CCD 10.    Reference 1: Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-303317